Theft preventer for gasoline tanks



vMarch 19, .1935. I T. l.. MYERS 1,995,007

THEFT PREVENTER Fon GAsoLINE TANKS Filed July 12, 1934 Patented Mar. 19, 1935 UNITED sTAT'Es PATENT OFFICE Thomas L. Myers, Phoenix, Aria. Application July 12, 1934, Serial No. 734,872

3 Claims.

This invention relates to devices for preventing the theft of gasoline from automobile tanks and has for its object to provide a theft preventer of thischaracter which is so constructed as to prevent either the insertion of a rubber tube into the gasoline tank for the withdrawal of gasoline therefrom or to prevent a suction pump being applied vto the inlet pipe for the purpose of Withdrawing the gasoline bodily through the pipe.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a sectional view through the upper wall of the gasoline tank showing in section my invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is a like view to Figure 1 and showing the modified form of the inlet pipe.

Referring to the drawing, A designates the upper wall ofa gasoline tank of any usual or suitable construction. The inlet pipe B in Figure 1 whereby the tank A is filled is shown as having a curved upper portion or section 10 and then extending downward at right angles to form a section 11. The vertical portion 11 extends down into the tank. The portion 11 may be held to the top of the tank in any suitable way so as to prevent its easy removal. Any suitable cap may be used for this inlet pipe B as this has nothing to do with my invention.

The part 11 extends downward below the top A of the tank. Preferably a baille plate 12 is disposed within the inlet end of the section 10, this bale plate having numerous small perforations or apertures 13 through it. This baille plate acts as a shield preventing the insertion of a rubber tube or like element into the gasoline tank and the withdrawal of gasoline therefrom. A second apertured baille plate 14 is disposed within the vertical portion 11 of the tube and preferably just below the top A. Below this baille plate, the inlet tube is formed with a. plurality of vertical slots 15 and the lower end of the portion 1v1 is formed with an inturned flange 16. Normally resting upon this flange 16 and disposed below the lower end of the slots 15 is a float 17 which may be made of metal and hollow or may be made of any buoyantmaterial. This oat approximately ts the interior of the part 11 of the inlet pipe and has a fiat upper surface, adapted when the oat rises to t against the flat lower surface of the baille plate 14 so as to prevent the passage of liquid upward through the perforations of the baille plate 14.

Preferably, the lower end of the portion 11 is formed as a separate section from the upper end of the portion 11 and these sections are screw- (Cl. E20-86) threaded together at 18, the baille plate 14 resting upon the shoulder formed by the lower section 11a. The inlet pipe 10 is also formed in two sections joined to each other at 19, these sections being screw-threaded to each other and the baille plate l2 being held by the section 10 against the shoulder 20 formed on the elbowA 10a.

While I have illustrated in Figure 1 this inlet pipe as having reversed curves, I do not wish to be limited to this as obviously the same theft preventing means may be applied to an inlet pipe extending straight upward as shown in Figure 2. It is not believed necessary to particularly describe the construction shown in Figure 2 as precisely the same construction is shown in Figure 1 except that the inlet pipe is straight instead of being curved. It is obvious that the inlet pipe may be of various forms to conform to the requirements of cars of a special make without departing from the spirit of my invention. l

'I'he action of this device in preventing the thef of gasoline is as follows:-

, The baille plate 12 and additionally bale plate 14 prevents the insertion of any rubber tube or even a very small tube into the gasoline tank for the purpose of withdrawing or sucking out gasoline therefrom. The floating valve 17 will rise with the gasoline as the tank is lled so that even if anvsiphoning device could be gotten through the small apertures of the plate 12, yet the valve lying against the under face of the bale plate 14 would prevent the gasoline from being sucked out. If an automobile be tilted so that the gasoline rises in the tank, it will lift the valve 17 against the face of the baie 14, preventing any attempt to Siphon or suck out liquid from the tank. When the gasoline tank is full, the float 17 rests on top of the gasoline and against the baiile 14 and any suction exerted' on the upper open end of pipe 10 will, under these circumstances, cause the float to press harder against the baille and prevent thepassage of gasoline from below the float. As the gasoline is used from the tank, the float drops with the level of the gasoline until it rests eventually on the flange 16 at the lower end 'of the pipe section 11a, thus unclosing the slots 15 in the side of the pipe which allows the gasoline to enter the tank when lling.

Obviously many minor changes might be made in this device without departing-from the spirit 'r of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:--I 1. A theft preventing inlet pipe for gasoline tanks, the pipe having therein a transversely extending baille perforated with a plurality of small holes, the baie being horizontally disposed having a fiat under face, the pipe extending below the bailie and having apertures below the baiiie, and a float normally disposed below the apertured portion of the inlet pipe and having a at upper surface adapted when the iloat is raised to bear against the at under surface of the baille and prevent the passage of liquid therethrough.

2. A theft preventing inlet pipe for automobile gas tanks having a plurality of bai'les in its length, each baille being perforated with a plurality of small apertures, one of said baies being located in a horizontal plane andbelow the top of the gasoline tank, the inlet pipe extending below said last named baleland being formed with a plurality of vertical slots in the wall of the pipe opening into the interior of the tank, the lower end of` the pipe being open, and a oat disposed within the end portion of said pipe below said slots, and having a at upper surface adapted to contact with the last named baile when the oat is raised and prevent the passage of liquid therethrough.

3. A theft preventing inlet pipe for gasoline tanks, the pipe having in its length a baflie plate extending transversely across the pipe and a oat disposed in the lower portion of the pipe below the baille plate and seating against one face of said baffle plate to prevent the passage of liquid therethrough when the oat is raised against the baille plate.

THOMAS L. MYERS. 

